The Runaway
by pinkaffinity
Summary: toph : she just wanted to keep on running. :tokka&zutara:
1. Chapter 1

a/n: What is this? Is this… AVATAR?! AND CHAPTERED? Why yes. Yes it is. Granted, I haven't read much Avatar fanfiction. So I apologize if they aren't in character, or if this just plain sucks. So, enjoy. (p.s. Much thanks to Suki for reading and approving!)

disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Avatar. Nickolodeon. Mike. Bryan. Thanks.

dedication: To ANA! Happy Birthday, love!! You are too kickass for your own good.

x.x.x.x

Toph was getting close. She knew she was getting close.

Her pale green eyes were poised to the horizon, her skin taking in all that her eyes couldn't. It was no longer the warm, gentle air that she was so familiar with. The Earth Kingdom had been way too easy on her these past four years. She had grown too used to the ground, warm and inviting, below her feet. Everything about her homeland was warm.

The air nipped at her face, causing her eyes to water. Even the slab of rock beneath her that she was bending towards her destination was cold. And it was only going to get colder.

The harsh air was so unfamiliar. It scared her.

No- she wasn't scared, she was just… nervous.

She twisted her ankle slightly, her toes digging into the rock underneath her, sensing the currents of the lapping water. She was still heading in the right direction. South.

The give and take of the rock was comforting. Her parents had wanted to supply her with a full fleet of ships, each employed with an ample staff of both warriors and servants. She had politely refused, preferring to ride in style- on a big slab of highly bendable rock.

It was hard for her parents to give up their… overly protective nature, despite the fact that Toph was a war hero (and the undefeated champion of Earth Rumble VI… not like she was bragging or anything.) She had even left home for four years. It was not to spite her parents; she just needed to travel, to explore, to snatch all the independence that the world so eagerly offered her.

Aang had even told her once that she would have made a good Air Nomad if she hadn't been born into the Bei Fong family. Toph liked to think that he was right.

She had returned home, albeit briefly, after traveling all across the Earth Kingdom with brief stops at the Air Temples and a visit to the Fire Nation. But after a few seemingly endless weeks, she had to flee yet again. Flee from the wealth and the constant barrage of suitors going after her hand. Earth Kingdom tradition stated that at the age of sixteen, young women were eligible for marriage. And in the eyes of many young Earth Kingdom men, Bei Fong Toph wasn't just eligible, she was a trophy equipped with good looks and an outrageously large dowry.

But Toph didn't want to get married.

So she left. She left for the only place she hadn't visited on her four-year journey.

The South Pole.

It wasn't like she had _planned_ on not visiting; it had just never happened. And now it made her nervous. What was their reaction going to be?

For a brief moment, Toph had shameful thoughts about turning back. She didn't know if she was able to face them. It was almost as if the longer she waited, the more she wanted to see them… but the harder it was to bring herself to do so. But before she could make the decision, she heard a voice. Not just any voice…that had to be Katara.

"Welcome to the Southern Water Tribe," she began, the ocean water bending itself around Toph's makeshift boat, pulling her slowly closer to the island. The era of peace was so refreshing. Instead of being attacked, Toph was welcomed. "Who goes there?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know me, Sugar Queen," Toph retorted jokingly.

Katara's eyes grew wide.

"Toph!" she exclaimed, and the current underneath her rock rushed underneath her, speeding her towards Katara. The rock slammed against the coast, and Toph dug her feet into the earth to keep her balance. She wasn't going to be making her entrance into a faceplant.

"Katara! You didn't have to pull me closer; I can bend myself over here just fine!" Toph snapped as she lowered the earth that encased her ankles.

"Oh, shut up with your whole 'I can carry my own weight' thing and give me a hug!" Katara said as she jumped onto Toph's rock.

The vibrations from Katara's sprint were hard and strong. But they felt good to Toph. They felt really good. The excitement. The joy.

Their bodies crashed together, and Katara held Toph so tightly. It had been too long since Toph had been hugged. Her parents had given up on touching her a long time ago. She buried her face in Katara's shoulder, inhaling her essence, but her arms remained firmly at her sides.

"I missed you, Toph," Katara said, lifting Toph in the air. Toph squirmed and punched Katara in the arm. She dropped her without a second thought. "Hey!"

"It's how I show affection."

Katara laughed loudly and clearly, and Toph smiled.

"So, yeah, here I am!" Toph began. She didn't know why she felt so nervous, so out of place. Katara did help her feel a little better… but she couldn't shake that feeling in the back of her head (or was that her heart?).

"Took you long enough!" Katara teased, grabbing Toph's wrist. She didn't even try to wriggle her arm away. Toph knew Katara better than that. Just don't resist her, and everything will be okay.

Toph stepped down off her rock, and instantly regretted doing so.

She had felt the cold, but nothing like this before. This was too much.

The snow bit at the skin on her feet, gnawing away at her sight. The cold overpowered everything. She could hear Katara jabbering on about something, pulling her along towards the village happily, but Toph couldn't even focus on her words. She couldn't focus on anything but the cold, the light crunch beneath her feet. She tried to ignore it, but she just couldn't.

She had always thought her feet were strong enough. Strong and stubborn like an Earthbender's feet should be. And for all the places she had visited, they were. They were rough and calloused, yet still able to sense everything.

She was a Master. She defied all odds. She was strong and stubborn and powerful.

But the ice pierced through the defenses that her she had built over the years.

It made her weak. It penetrated the Master.

"Toph?" Katara said, stopping in her tracks. Toph grunted her response, cringing at the pain in her feet, her eyes. "Toph!" Katara yelled this time, grabbing Toph's arms. And the Queen finally realized that Toph was standing here, freezing her feet off. Toph tilted away from Katara, away from the shame and defeat.

"Dammit, you need to stop this. I am your friend, and I will help you. Why the hell didn't you tell me that you didn't bring any _shoes_?" she scolded, lifting Toph onto her back and trudging along through the snow toward the middle hut. Toph clung onto her back unwillingly and buried her face in Katara's thick hair. Her bare feet finally being off the ground cleared her head. "What were you thinking? Honestly, it's the South Pole. It's cold, and I _know _you know that. I told you countless times."

"I'm sorry," she was able to mumble.

"Toph," Katara said slowly with a low sigh, bouncing the earthbender higher up on her back. "You've always gone on about how you can take care of yourself. This is not taking care of yourself."

Toph couldn't respond. She was too angry. What would the Sugar Queen know about taking care of herself? She was always clinging to some man, always holding to someone, somewhere. Toph had lived alone for years. If anyone knew about independence, it was her.

Toph could feel Katara's arm move as she pulled an entrance curtain to the side. Toph shuddered. The attempted warmth, the fire smoldering in the center of the room, felt so strange to Toph. She missed real warmth. The only warmth that kept her happy was the genuine kind, emanating from the earth.

"Oof!"

Katara dropped Toph roughly on a bed draped with furs and stalked off.

Toph held her breath. She didn't know where she was. She didn't know where Katara was. Her hands gripped the furs beneath her, trying to get the slightest feel for the room. But she couldn't. Not a single vibration. She heard rustling, was that clothes? She couldn't tell.

It was so unnerving. For the first time in her life, she was blind.

"Here," she finally heard Katara say from somewhere across the room. Okay, so the hut wasn't as big as she had thought it was. Katara was only, say, ten feet away. Then _slam!_ A thick coat flew onto Toph, burying her under its layers of fur. She slid it on her arms slowly, afraid that Katara was going to chuck more at her.

"That's one of my spares," Katara said. "It'll be a little long on you."

"I'm not complaining, Princess," Toph retorted as she shrugged it on.

"And some boots."

Toph heard a funny clunk as the boots hit the cold floor. She reached out, and her hand grabbed nothing but air. A second try, and she managed to snatch the heel of one. She shoved it onto her ice-cold foot, and the relief was instantaneous, despite the weird sensation of having shoes on her feet.

"So," she heard Katara say as she bounced onto the bed with Toph. She braced herself. "What took you so long?" Katara asked slowly.

Toph cringed. Katara scooted closer to her, though, and she could sense her earnestness.

_I couldn't bring myself to face him._

The words caught in Toph's throat, smothered by a heavily staged cough. Katara sighed. "You know, I'm not letting you go anywhere until we have a nice little chat. You need to warm up before I give the grand tour, and… I have all the patience in the world."

_I can't._

"Is this how you always treat your guests?"

"Answer the question."

"Will you always insist on playing mom?"

Katara cursed under her breath, and ran her fingers through her thick brown hair. She had to restrain herself before she lost her temper, which was a usual occurrence whenever she argued with Toph. Katara remained silent, allowing Toph to collect her thoughts. How could she explain it?

That was just it. She couldn't. And no excuses came to mind.

"It's not like… it's not like I planned to not come. I just spent more time perfecting my sandbending than I thought I would."

"What?"

"I spent the last year and a half alone in the desert, Katara," she said. Truthfully, it wasn't the entire year and a half. Toph just didn't feel like telling Katara about the barrage of suitors attacking her family. Not right now at least.

"I don't buy it."

No. She was not going to tell her the real reason as to why she spent so long away.

"Can we please not talk about it?" she pleaded, her voice soft. Katara groaned as she got up off the bed. She snatched Toph's hand and pulled her up from the bed.

"For now," Katara said, pulling her out the door. "Don't think I'm going to forget either."

Toph laughed nervously. She knew Katara. And she wouldn't forget.

Now that her feet were warmer, she could sense a little bit. There was so much ice caked over the earth that it was hard to tell where everything was, and the shoes just made everything blurry. Toph sighed. She hated feeling dependent on people, but she would have to succumb and ask for help while she was staying.

"So, how're you and Aang?" Toph asked slyly as they were walking to greet Hakoda. She felt Katara's heart rate skyrocket up through her hand.

"Didn't you hear?" Katara said nervously, "We broke up two years ago. It was mutual."

Toph gasped, the air freezing her throat. No, she hadn't. How much else had she missed while she was gone?

It was the first time she had even slightly regretted spending the last year and a half alone.

And it wouldn't be the last.

x.x.x.x

a/n: Again, sorry if it was mega fail. Review?


	2. Chapter 2

"I had forgotten how purely awesome your dad is, Katara," Toph said quietly as she snuggled under the covers for the night. She pulled the quilts up to her chilly nose, curling her legs up closer to her body.

Katara laughed before she spoke. "Well, you haven't seen him since… wow, the Invasion?"

Toph sighed, "Yeah. Four years." She flipped over to her side, facing Katara. She could hear Katara's light breathing, muffled only slightly by the pillow. She moved closer to Katara, trying to absorb her heat. Toph couldn't tell if it was Katara or if it was all the South-Pole girls. Katara was radiating warmth. The bed squeaked as Toph scooted over, but Katara didn't say anything to show that she minded.

It was strange to Toph. During the war, she generally refused any sort of physical contact. While she was traveling alone, there was nobody to have contact with. And now, it was almost as if she craved it. No, she told herself, she was just freaking freezing.

But it does make her think.

She can't remember where they were. But the scene played out in her mind, as clear as yesterday. _They were camping outside_, she recalled. _During the war, when they were camping outside, they would oftentimes sleep under the stars, the crackling fire serving as their peaceful lullaby. Aang and Katara slept close together that night, their bodies pressing against one another. Maybe it was because Katara was finally giving into to his gentle advances. Toph couldn't tell_.

As Katara's warmth finally begins to spread out underneath the covers, Toph remembered.

_She sat away from the fire, absentmindedly picking her toes. She couldn't sleep. So she picked her toes and watched Aang and Katara. His arm moved, and he laid it over her shoulders. They snuggled closer. _

_It made her sick. _

_She couldn't stand being that close, physically, to a person. She knew that it didn't bother them in the least. Hell, they were asleep. They'd never know it. And besides, if they ever did, they'd deny it. She laughed to herself, about to walk away to a place a little less awkward. _

_Movement. She turned her head back to the fire. Sokka got up, rubbed his eyes, and looked up at the moon. Was he checking the time? Or was he thinking of Yue? Or was it Suki this time? _

_She could never tell what he was truly thinking, and it infuriated her. His heartbeat was steady. No give-aways. He usually kept his heart under control, unless he was lying. Toph always could tell if he was lying. _

"_Hey," he said quietly when he noticed her staring blindly his way. Sokka always took a long time to observe around him. _

"_Hey, Snoozles," she said. She absently fingered the bracelet he had given her. It morphed under her touch, slipping into new shapes every few seconds._

_Sokka stood up, stretching his arms out above his head. She stood still, feeling the movement around her. _

"_What are you doing up?" he asked, his voice low. His hair hung low in his eyes as he looked down at her. _

_She formed the meteorite back into a bracelet and slipped her wrist through it again. "Can't sleep. I thought that was obvious."_

"_Come lie down with us," he cajoled her, grabbing her hand. She felt his blood pumping through his veins. She hoped he couldn't feel hers. She pulled her hand away._

"_No thanks," she said, "You guys are my friends, but I'm not really into snuggling."_

"_Suit yourself," Sokka said, unwilling to start up an argument. Toph smiled. She was glad he knew when to stop pestering. Sokka stumbled back to the fire, and lay down next to Katara, closer than where he had woken up. _

_It drew her attention back to Aang and Katara. He held her closely now, in an awkward, one-armed hug. Toph groaned and threw her hands in the air. As she did, two sheets of rock formed a canopy over her. _

_She just wanted to be alone. Couldn't they see that? Couldn't Sokka see that? _

At her memories, Toph inched away from Katara again. She felt too close, and again, she just wanted to be alone. She couldn't bring herself to flee the warmth of the bed, but her yearning for solitude again was sated by the few feet of distance she made between herself and Katara.

Katara's breathing was slow now. She was asleep. Toph had always envied that about her. Whenever she wanted to go to sleep, that's exactly what she did. Toph couldn't claim the same talent for herself.

Her mind drifted back to that night.

Was his mind set to Yue? Or Suki?

One thing for sure, it wasn't set on Toph.

Where was Sokka anyway?

She was scared to ask.

Katara didn't say anything.

Toph didn't ask.

She didn't want to reveal her fear.

She was scared.

She was nervous.

What would he say?

What would _she _say?

Yue, Suki, Toph… Never Toph…

And slowly, slowly, she drifted off to sleep, memories still racing through her mind.

In the morning, when Toph woke up, she was alone.

Katara had left the bed but had made sure to tuck the covers back in. It was still cold, though, despite her efforts. Toph's legs shuffled underneath the cover, skin rubbing against skin, but the friction wasn't enough either. She groaned as she resigned to getting out of the bed, and she groaned again when she peeled the covers away from her body. She located her boots, her coat, her hat, and shoved them onto herself. She was still cold.

She left Katara's room and entered the main room of the hut. Hakoda was sitting at the table, drinking something. Toph couldn't tell what it was.

"Good morning," he said as she took another step closer, clinking his cup back down against the weathered wood of the table.

"Hey," she responded. "Not at HQ?"

He stretched his arms over his head, and Toph was reminded of his son. It was the exact same gesture.

"A man's gotta wake up before he resumes his chief duties, Toph," he said. His voice didn't hold much happiness, though. Before Toph turned out of the door, she hesitated. He had seemed like this last night. Downcast. What was the problem?

"Is something wrong, Hakoda?" she asked.

"It's nothing to concern yourself with, Toph," he said wearily. He mumbled something like, "They can handle themselves." But Toph couldn't really hear him. He added loudly, "If you're looking for Katara, she's out by the ocean. Shocking, I know." He laughed heartily at his little joke for but a moment. His face fell again. His weariness was overwhelming. It was just the start, but Toph could feel it. It saddened her.

"Thanks, Hakoda," she said with a wave, trying to look happy. Toph strode out of the hut, the air chilly on her face. She didn't know how they grew accustomed to this.

The snow crunched underneath her boots, and the ice underneath reverberated strangely with each crunch. She did know where she was going, though, despite the fact that her feet couldn't see very well for her with the cold. Katara had shown her around their village a little. Toph followed her feet, followed her instincts, which led her to the edge of the water.

"Toph!" Katara yelled. She turned to the right. Damn. She had only been a smidge off. As she walked closer to Katara, the sound of waves grew louder. "I didn't want to wake you," she explained to Toph, her voice quiet.

"No prob," Toph said, crossing her arms. Katara turned and focused her attention back to the ocean, bending the waves to her will. What was she doing? Toph felt her slab of earth down the coastline. Her fingers tugged at the air and the rock came flying, slamming into the snow at Toph's feet. She jumped onto it and sat down. She felt very comfortable. Katara quietly sat on the edge of the rock.

Her heartbeat was out of control.

"Whoa," Toph practically yelled, the syllable stretching out as it broke the silence. Katara jumped. "What is your _problem_?" Toph asked.

"Problem? I don't have a problem," Katara lied. The waves picked up their frequency, splashing against the rocky coastline more often than before.

"Don't try and pull that shit with me," Toph retorted. "Blind girl knows when you're lying." Katara stood up and cursed as she ran a gloved hand through her hair. Toph laughed. "That's what you get for getting near my element."

Toph loved catching peoples in their lies. It felt good.

She pulled her shoulders up and cupped a hand around the back of the ear nearest Katara. "What's got your panties in a bunch? Do tell," she said, almost mockingly.

Katara didn't laugh.

"They were supposed to have come back yesterday," Katara explained seriously, wringing her hands in her lap. Again, the waves picked up in intensity. Toph lowered her hand from the side of her face. She wasn't expecting something to be seriously wrong. She didn't know what she was expecting, truthfully, but something trivial, pointless. "That's why I was waiting out here yesterday, when you came. I was waiting for them."

"Waiting for who?" Toph asked, already guessing the answer. _Him_.

"Sokka. Zuko. Two other younger boys." Her voice was frightened. Toph couldn't decipher why she was so scared, why her heart was beating so fast.

"Why the heck are we staying here?" Toph asked as she leapt up, slapping her thighs. "We girls always had to save their butts, and now's no different." She laughed.

"It's not like that," Katara said as she grabbed Toph's wrist and pulled her back down before she could run off to save the day. Toph jerked her arm from Katara's grasp.

"What are you talking about?" Toph asked. She couldn't understand. "You're always the one saying how we have to help people. You're the crazy one who'll do anything to save someone!"

"I _know_," Katara growled, slamming her fists down against her sides. The waves crashed, sending water sprinkling above them.

"Then what's the problem?!" Toph yelled back. "You said there're kids out there. You said it yourself. We have to do something. We're not weak little girls, Katara, we're benders."

"I'm not allowed." Her voice resonated angrily through her gritted teeth.

"What?"

"I'm not _allowed_ to help," Katara repeated, each word spoken slowly.

Toph gave up. She sat down quietly, her shoulders hunched. She was just going to have to wait until Katara explained herself. It didn't take long.

"In my tribe, when a boy turns thirteen, he has to go spend a week out on the ice. Once they return, they have entered manhood," she began. Katara rubbed her arms, and her eyes never left the horizon as she explained. "The last boy who completed the, well, you could call it a journey, I suppose… he is obligated to lead the other boy. We're not trying to send them out to their death. It's more like a test. I'm not supposed to know much about it. It's strictly a male thing, but Dad told me about it when Sokka had his… right before Dad left for the war." Katara paused, taking a deep breath. "It really scared me when he left that first time. But he came back that time."

"So Sokka is leading them?" Toph asked, beginning to understand the strange Water Tribe tradition. Katara nodded.

"It's the twins with him. Hoshi and Rito. That's why there are two with him," Katara said. She absently formed snowballs on the ground below by clenching her fingers together mid-air. Toph would have laughed at her "stress-balls" if she wasn't being so serious. Toph had learned a long time ago not to joke around when Katara was serious.

So Sokka was helping these twins take the leap into manhood. But-

"Why… why is _Zuko_ there?"

Katara couldn't conceal her smile. It didn't reach her eyes, however. Her bright blue eyes shone with worry. Toph didn't notice either.

"When Zuko learned about the custom, he wanted to go. Sokka agreed. Why he wanted to go, I'll never know."

Toph shook her head. Some foreign customs were too difficult for her Earth Kingdom mind to comprehend. They were all crazy. Fire Nation _and_ Water Tribe.

"They can take care of themselves," Toph said confidently, and Hakoda's voice sounded in her mind. She had to say it aloud, so she could suppress the tiny piece of worry swimming about her head. _Sokka is strong. He's done it before_, she told herself.

"I know, but-"

"No buts, they can handle themselves."

Katara silenced, and she started bending the waves again to pass the time.

Toph sat with her face towards the sun. There was something she was missing here. Why would Katara be so concerned? True, Sokka was her brother. And Zuko was a friend. But Katara knew they could take care of themselves. And Toph was sure they'd be able to take care of the twins as well. There was something that she wasn't telling her. She shouldn't be so worried.

Hours passed, and they mostly rested there quietly, Katara staring at the sea. Hakoda brought them lunch around noon. No matter how much Toph tried to convince her that everything was going to be okay, Katara was still nervous.

The sun slowly completed its arch across the sky. Toph felt the southern sunset bathing her cheek in light.

Right before Toph was going to get up and walk back to the village, Katara jumped up.

"It's them!" she yelled. Toph could tell she was itching to waterbend them back faster, but she wasn't allowed to help in any way.

Toph leaned up on her elbows. She still couldn't feel their presence, but she didn't doubt Katara.

"It's them!" she repeated joyfully.

As they approached, Toph felt the waves from their small boat rippling through the ocean. It was them. They were coming.

Her stomach dropped. What was she going to say? How would he react? She didn't want to think about it, but it was _all _she could think of.

Before she knew it, the boat collided with the coast, and she felt four bodies get out. They all survived. She exhaled. She knew there was no reason to be nervous.

"Katara," Sokka said as he walked over, "Zuko needs some healing." He sounded like he had matured decades. Or maybe Toph's mind was just playing tricks again. He hadn't noticed her yet, had he? She guessed they all were too preoccupied to notice.

"What happened?" Katara asked fearfully.

"He fell in the water yesterday. I couldn't believe it. The twins did everything right, and this knucklehead went and fell in." Sokka laughed, despite the evident seriousness.

"Yeah, and it was real funny," Zuko retorted. "He didn't even help me out. He just kept screaming 'flameo' at me. Like that would help."

"It was funny!" Sokka laughed harder.

"It's not funny, Sokka," Katara snapped, her mother instincts kicking in. She grabbed Zuko's arm gently, and turned back. "Congratulations, you two," she said to the twins. As she pulled Zuko away, she heard him complaining.

"Hey, I finished it too," he grumbled as they strode away.

"Hoshi, you go pull the boat back. You know where it goes. Rito, you can go tell your parents you two are back. Tell them it was all the Fire Lord's fault," Sokka said, and Toph's attention was dragged back to him.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she hated the feeling. She usually could keep her emotions in check. What was wrong with her?

The two boys ran off, chattering as they fled to do their duties.

Sokka stood there silently. She knew he was staring at her. The blush started to creep up on her face, and she was preparing to flee herself.

"Toph," he said.

The sound of her name coming from his lips made her feel so good.

"Hey," she said, putting a hand on her hip. Play it smooth.

"Long time no see."

"Yeah. Long time no see."

They stood silently, awkwardly. _I'm sorry_, she wanted to say. But her mouth wasn't working properly. Before she could say anything, before she could move, he spoke very quietly.

"I missed you," he said.

Her cheeks flared, and she was lost for words. Why was she like this? She finally said the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm going to go check on Zuko," she said, running off before he could respond.

The cold forced her eyes to water as she ran. Every footstep in the snow seemed to mock her.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid. _

She was prepared for scolding. She was prepared for disappointment.

She wasn't prepared for _I miss you_.

x.x.x.x

a/n: Hmm, second chapter. I feel like it should be longer, but it's not. Besides, I still haven't decided how many chapters this is going to wind up being. So, here you go. Hope you liked... a little? Review?


	3. Chapter 3

She had already run past the village when she realized that she needed to stop. Her cheeks were stinging. She slowed, pressing her hand against her heart, feeling its rapid rhythm beneath her thick fur coat.

"Dammit," Toph muttered under her breath, her voice thick and angry through clenched teeth.

The sun was still barely shining its light over the ice. She inhaled deeply, the air cleansing her lungs and cleansing her thoughts. She had to learn to control herself. Another deep breath. Like a stone. Like a rock. Solid. Immovable.

The sun sparkled across the terrain, casting its rays against her clouded eyes. She could still see them, though. They were warm and bright, smiling from the west.

She had been so focused on running that she had forgotten her destination.

Despite the fact that what she really wanted was to put as much distance between Sokka and herself so that she might avoid another awkward encounter, Toph really did want to check up on Zuko. She whirled around, and the snow shifted beneath the soles of her boots. It felt funny.

Thankfully, Katara had given her a long-winded tour of the village, so Toph knew the approximate locations of all the various huts. Sadly, there just weren't that many. From a girl raised in the Earth Kingdom, the South Pole was miniscule.

She was getting used to the snow. It wasn't like she was loving it or even liking it. But she had definitely learned to use it to her advantage. She had to walk slowly though. If she stepped just right, the snow sent fuzzy vibrations through her calves, the ice prickling the eyes of her thick, ropy muscles, allowing Toph to see around her with a three-foot radius. It didn't look right to her. It didn't look right at all without the clear, beautiful contrast of stone carving her path of sight, but it was definitely doable.

She approached a hut, and she instinctively knew that it was the one that Katara used for healing. At first, having a 'healing hut' seemed like a ridiculous notion to Toph, but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Katara was still the only water-bender of the Southern Water Tribe, making her the only healer, and thereby making her the most sought-out woman in the entire tribe. Everybody came to her, some with the tiniest complaints of symptoms, and Katara insisted on helping them all. She merely insisted that they not rampage her home as well. She had even set up a strange organization of timetables for when she was available. Toph didn't really understand it, but then again, she didn't really care.

She approached the hut slowly, taking the necessary precautions to make sure she wasn't simply intruding in on somebody's home. The precautions weren't necessary this time, however. Zuko and Katara's voices could clearly be heard.

Toph laughed under her breath.

It was time for some old-fashioned eavesdropping.

She pressed her body up against the side of the hut, craning her neck awkwardly to the side in order to hear perfectly. A strange humming sound emanated from the doorway. That must be Katara's healing.

"I won't ask any questions, Zuko, despite the fact that I have plenty," said Katara, using her distinctive motherly tone. "And if you don't hold still, it won't heal right."

Zuko groaned. "It's just frostbite."

"I'm guessing you didn't know the frostbite can essentially make your limbs fall off?" Katara said smoothly. She seemed calm enough, so Zuko was going to be okay. Toph, however, shuddered. She couldn't imagine losing something as crucial as a limb. She wouldn't know what to do. Sure, she'd overcome one disability, but earthbending can only take a girl so far.

Katara healed in relative silence. Toph was just about to prowl on in when Zuko spoke.

"I'm sorry I worried you."

"Worried me? _Worried me?_ You did far more than that, Zuko. I was so close to throwing away my entire tribe's traditions, traditions that have been held up for centuries, just so I wouldn't go insane from sitting idly by."

"I'm glad you didn't come, Katara."

"What?" she said incredulously.

"Abandoning tradition is like abandoning your honor. You would be very, very upset afterwards. I don't want to see you upset."

"I'm upset right now," she groaned, finishing off her healing with a final whirl of water. It splashed back into its pot, and Katara picked it up, capped it, and put it back on the shelf. Zuko sat up.

"What do you want me to do?" Zuko asked.

Toph could slice through the tension emanating out the doorway. She strained her ears, catching the slightest sounds perfectly. Katara licked her lips, the tongue rolling across her bottom teeth, and smoothed her hair back. Zuko stood, walking closer to her.

"Please, I can't stand to see you angry." He placed his hands on her shoulders, his fingers slowly curving around to trace her collarbone. Her fingers danced up to greet his. He bent down, burying his face in her thick brown hair. Katara swallowed. Her heartbeat fluttered, like a moth trying to escape its cage and flee to the bright white light.

He whispered into her ear, "I hate it when you're upset. I just want you to be happy."

"Zuko…" she moaned. His breath rolled sensually over her bare neck, and she turned into his arms, facing him. The muscles in Zuko's arms tensed and relaxed as Katara pressed herself closer to his body. Her face slipped comfortably against his chest.

"I want to make you happy," he breathed.

A tear escaped her eye, and it began to roll down her cheek.

"I'm sorry," she croaked, "I was… I just kept picturing my life without you. I don't think I could... I don't think… I… I…"

He cupped her face in his strong hands, rubbing his thumbs gently over her cheeks, catching the stray tear with his tender caress. He craned his neck lower and lower, and she straightened her back, standing up on her tiptoes.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I am the one who should be apologizing." Katara sniffled, failing to control her emotions.

"I love you," he said.

Toph couldn't restrain herself anymore. As swiftly as a lion, she pounced through the entrance. By the sound of it, Zuko and Katara were centimeters away from locking lips, sealing their love.

"Hey, Sparky, you okay?" Toph asked. "You got frostbite?"

Katara yelped and pushed against Zuko's chest, flying into the shelves of various medicinal waters. The jars shook, tempting gravity to pull them to the ground.

"Toph!" Katara yelled, shoving her hands back into her mittens and stalking toward her. "You just scared the living daylights out of me!"

Zuko laughed loudly and curled his arm around Toph's shoulder, jostling her around. Good old Zuko. "Toph!" he cried, pulling her into a close hug.

"Whoa! Back up," she said as she pushed him away with a punch to the arm. "Personal bubble and all that."

He laughed, rubbing where she had hit. "Hey, I'm already damaged, don't mess with me even more."

"You're fine," Toph groaned. "Stop being a baby."

"You're fine," Katara assured him as her heart rate just began to slow. She turned back to Toph. "What're you doing? Weren't you with Sokka?"

Toph focused, controlling her breathing, controlling her mind. She wouldn't let it get to her, even though Sokka's voice kept repeating in her mind. _I missed you, I missed you, I missed you._

She missed him too.

"I thought I should check up on the Fire Lord here," she said, punching Zuko in the arm again. And I just so happened to overhear a few interesting little tidbits…"

Katara leaned back against the shelf. "What sort of tidbits?" Her voice sounded nervous.

"You know, that whole '_I love you_' thing?" she mocked, smiling as she did.

"You little sneak!" Katara growled, "I hate it when you eavesdrop, I hate it!" Zuko grabbed her, laughing as he pulled her back so she wouldn't wallop Toph across the face. Toph laughed with him.

"You two are unbelievable!" Katara yelled, shaking Zuko off and pointing her finger at Toph, her eyes shifting between the two. "It's just like four years ago all over again!" But saying this only made Zuko and Toph laugh more, and made Katara that much angrier. She threw her arms up. "You're hopeless! I'm going to get ready for tonight, so please, grow up a little."

With a huff, she left, leaving a chuckling Toph behind. Zuko sobered up quickly, and returned to the long wooden table in the middle of the room. She followed him, splaying her hands out over the wood, feeling the knots curl beneath her fingers. He grabbed his boots and began to lace the left one up his leg.

"So, cheating on Mai with Katara? Shame on you. I would've thought better of the Fire Lord. Especially a Fire Lord obsessed with honor. How… dishonorable!" Toph smiled widely. She really didn't care about Zuko's personal life. He could have a thousand concubines for all she cared. She just wanted to poke fun, to remember old times with her friend.

Zuko tugged the second boot on his right foot.

"Mai died," he said.

Toph's breath caught in her throat. It was like a huge weight pressing against her chest, forcing the air to seep out of her lungs. Her stomach dropped, and she scrabbled around for her words. That wasn't right. This wasn't right. Zuko was lying. He had to be.

"I'm not lying," he said in a sad voice, reading her thoughts easily.

"What… happened?" Toph asked, her voice hushed and filled with disbelief. Zuko patted the table, letting the wood run across his hand, inviting Toph to sit and listen to his tale. Toph pulled herself up, swinging her legs childishly. Zuko sat next to her, their thighs barely touching.

"I'm not telling you this for sympathy. I'm only telling because you asked, because you're my friend, and because I refuse to let my name be tainted as an adulterer."

Toph grimaced. She was just having a little fun. "I was just messing around," she confessed, clasping her gloved hands together in her lap.

"I understand," he said wearily. "You cold?"

Toph nodded. "Down here? Always."

Zuko thrust his hand out in front of him, and the flames shot out into the cold furnace. Instantly, Toph felt the heat from the fire dancing across her cheeks.

"Why didn't you just heat yourself up after you fell in?" she asked, remembering that he had originally been in here for healing, not just regular old chitchat about his girlfriends, those both past and present.

"I figured it'd be cheating," he said offhandedly, "I refused to do anything that the Tribe might hold against me."

"Why?"

"You'll see soon enough," he said. They entered into a short silence, broken when Toph asked him a second time, her curiosity trumping her good manners.

"What happened to Mai?"

Zuko inhaled deeply and exhaled so that tiny flames escaped his mouth. Toph's legs stopped swinging as she focused on what her was to say.

"Mai and I were supposed to be together. She loved me, and I was honor-bound to never leave her again. I… I loved her too," he disclosed. He leaned back on his elbows, and soaked in the heat of the fire he had created. Toph could sense that his mind was taking a visit to the past. "We were going to wait until Mai turned sixteen before we got married. I knew she didn't care, but her parents insisted on sticking to the legal age."

Toph's thoughts flew back to the whole reason for running away in the first place. She was sixteen. She was legal, eligible for marriage. Everything kept reminding her of her age, of her duty to her family.

"So the wait was only going to be a year, year and a half long," Zuko continued, luring Toph's focus back with his voice. "We were both very happy then. A few months before the scheduled wedding date, Mai was coming down to visit me again, since she had moved back with her parents after the war ended. She was on the Liung river… in northern Fire Nation, only a few miles from the capital. A group of men, from what I've heard were furious at her father, destroyed her boat. It capsized, and as it sank, it pinned her to the river's bottom. The river rose with the autumn rains," Zuko's voice strained. "And then she drowned."

Toph had no words for the sympathy that she felt, so she remained silent. Only the crackle of the fire filled her ears, Zuko's heartbeat pumping at a steady rhythm, his eyes blinking back the tears he refused to shed again.

After he had composed himself, Zuko began again, "I was desolate for months upon months, and being in my station, I wasn't free to let my emotions take me. Not even at her funeral was I allowed a single tear. My anger, my sadness, my despair were all bottled up deep inside me, hidden by my duties to my country. I was even shirking many of my duties because I was spending so much of my time trying to control my emotion. But everything changed when Katara accompanied her father when he was sent as an envoy for the Southern Water Tribe. After one of our many world meetings, Katara found me by the turtleduck pond. She opened me up, Toph, she let me wail and mourn and curse and scream. She let me do what nobody had done before. She let me _feel_.

"She spent many hours consoling me, holding me. After some time, she started crying herself, and I discovered that she was as broken as I was."

"Wait," Toph interrupted, "Why was Katara so upset?"

"That would be her tale to tell. I would not give her secrets away so easily, Toph."

Despite the fact that her curiosity was eating away at her, Toph understood. She knew what it was like to be unwilling to tell a secret, be it your own or somebody else's, even if you were telling the secret to a friend. She had her own secrets.

"I understand. Keep going."

"In the end, Katara and I needed each other. We needed each other so we wouldn't fall apart. And this… this _need_ soon blossomed into something more. It blossomed into love."

Love.

"Although Mai will always hold a place in my heart, I love Katara, Toph, I truly do. In the years following our heartbreak, we learned to live in the present, and we learned to hold on to what makes us happy. We held to each other, clinging to one another for happiness. And I'll never let her go."

Toph couldn't help but smile. She bowed her head, letting her long dark bangs shade her face. If only she had someone who truly loved her, someone who wasn't after her money or her fame.

"I'm… I'm sorry about Mai. You and Katara are very lucky to have one another," she finally said after some time.

"What? No mean comments? No poking fun?"

"For now," she admitted, lifting her head to showcase her smile to him. Zuko curled his arm around her head, pressing her face roughly into his chest with a light chuckle. She proceeded to slip out of his hold and shove him away, faking an angry look. "Whoa, I know this is a touchy moment, but I'm not getting that touchy."

Zuko smiled. "So, enough about me. I would interrogate you on your love life, pestering you for details until you ripped my tongue out, but I have to get ready." Zuko hopped off the table, landing lithely on the cold ground. With a flick of his wrist, the warm fire disappeared, the comforting heat with it.

"Ready for what?" Toph asked as she slipped off the table, making her way towards the door.

"Our right of passage ceremony? Don't you keep up on anything anymore?" he said with a laugh and a wave as he walked out.

"No, obviously not," she whispered to herself as she slowly made her way back to Katara's room. Creeping through the snow was still difficult, but manageable. The sun had fully hidden below the horizon; only a few dull sunrays crept across the barren landscape. Now that she was alone again, searching for Katara, her curiosity burned inside her chest.

Katara hadn't mentioned anything to her, had she? Zuko had said that she was heartbroken, but what could she be heartbroken about? Both Hakoda and Sokka were alive and well.

Toph racked her mind, but she couldn't think of anything. But then again, she wasn't one to judge for withholding a secret or two. Toph had her fair share of secrets and lies lying dormant and hidden behind her pale eyes.

"Katara?" Toph said as she entered the home, pulling the curtains to her doorway aside with a swipe of her hand.

"Hmm?" Katara hummed absently. She was perched in front of a mirror, combing her fingers through her thick hair.

"Why were you heartbroken?" After she said this, Toph thought that she should be a little more sensitive, but her voice came out flat and uncaring. Typical Toph.

"What are you talking about?" Katara asked, swiveling her body towards Toph.

"Zuko told me about Mai. He told me about you two."

Katara turned back to the mirror, the blush rising up her cheeks, her heartbeat vibrating through the chair, the floor, Toph's feet, Toph's chest. There definitely was something that Katara wasn't sharing, and now Toph was determined to uncover that secret.

"It's… it's hard for me to… explain."

"Just spit it out, Sugar Queen." Toph sat on the bed, rolling her back out.

"Fine! …It wasn't mutual."

"What wasn't mutual?"

"Aang and I. It wasn't a mutual break-up," Katara confessed, wringing her hands in her lap. Toph had thought that it would take a lot more to wheedle it out of her, but hey, now she understood.

"I _knew_ you'd break up with him!" Toph exclaimed, throwing her arms above her head, stretching her body out above the quilt.

"I didn't," Katara said, the volume barely above a whisper. "He broke up with me." Her voice quivered. Toph swallowed. So Zuko wasn't the only one still hurting; they truly were a blessing to one another. But before Toph could comment, Katara launched into her tale.

"I knew Aang and I were never meant to be. He's the Avatar. I'm just… me. But I desperately wanted him to be happy, despite my own fears of being hurt. So on that day that I kissed him back, I knew the deal had been sealed, and I couldn't go back on it. I grew to love him. I loved him dearly.

"Two years after the end of the war, Aang decided to put an end to it. He was the Avatar. He had to help people, not spend his time in a relationship." Katara stared in the mirror as she spoke. Staring at her own blue eyes, staring at her own past. "I told him I was okay, but what could I do? He's the Avatar, and I refused to let my emotion hold him back."

"And then you went to the Fire Nation," Toph commented, noting how Zuko's story weaved its way through Katara's, linking the memories into one.

"Yes," said Katara, "And I'm sure Zuko told you the rest of the story?"

"He did."

"He was a lot more broken than he let on to you. Just so you know. But he healed me, as I healed him."

Toph sighed. She was happy for her friends; she really was happy. She just wished that she could be happy, too. She wanted to release her secrets. Maybe then… maybe then…

"Katara, I have something to tell you, too," Toph said slowly, each word coming out with a struggle.

"Yes?" Katara said offhandedly as she pulled her hair into two loopy pigtails.

"Well, I… I waited so long… well, see, back home there's… and I-"

"Katara!" yelled Sokka as he stumbled into the doorway, cutting Toph's sentence short. "Dad needs you at the ceremony, pronto. He wants to run through the steps with you beforehand."

"But-"

"Hurry, you only have ten minutes." His voice seemed urgent.

Katara groaned, standing abruptly. "Fine. I don't even have much of a role, and Dad is making _such_ a fuss about it! Gran-Gran is the same way!" She kept mumbling and groaning as she stepped past Sokka with a final huff.

Toph stood from the bed, ready to follow after Katara.

"Stay, please," Sokka begged. He wasn't giving her much of an option though. He leaned against the doorway, blocking her path.

Toph sat back down and took a deep breath. She was going to keep under control. Stable. Immovable. Like a rock. Like a rock. Like a _rock_.

An awkward silence permeated the air.

"Did you get shorter?" Sokka finally asked. Toph could see his wide smile through his tone of voice.

"No, I just didn't monstrously grow into a giant. Unlike you." The words flew out of her throat before she could stop them.

"Hey, I'm not a giant!" Sokka exclaimed as he crossed his arms, trying to defend himself.

"Sure, then I'm not blind," she joked, rolling her eyes. Sokka burst into laughter, and soon Toph lost it too. She threw her head back on her shoulders, her laughter coming out in short, heavy bursts. Sokka started laughing harder, and before she knew it, Toph was laughing so hard, tears escaped her eyes and rolled mirthfully down the sides of her face, landing in the sides of her hood.

When she finally calmed down enough to speak, Toph said, "I haven't laughed that hard in a long time."

"Me either," Sokka admitted, wiping his own eyes. He peeked out the window in the ceiling, catching sight of the moon. "It's time," he said. "Ready?"

"Ready for what? I still don't understand what's going on half the time here. Your traditions are so… weird."

Sokka resumed his leaning stance against the doorway. "It's the ceremony for the right of passage. We have a feast afterward, a kind of party."

"I thought you already did the right of passage thing?"

"Yes, well this is the ceremony. It's the final ritual, and once they complete this, they will be considered men in out tribe."

"You said party… right?" Toph asked as she slid off the bed and stood up to her full height. She barely reached Sokka's chest. He had grown so much.

"I said… _party_."

"Alright," Toph said, punching one hand into the other. "Sounds cool. I can dig parties."

How was it that he can make her so comfortable in the span of a few minutes? Toph didn't know, but she wasn't going to question it.

Sokka started laughing again as the two were walking out into the cold.

"What?" Toph asked.

"You _dig _parties? Get it? 'Cause you're an _earthbender_?" Sokka said, laughing. He slapped his hands against his knees.

Toph rolled her eyes.

"Not funny, Snoozles," she said, covering the smile blooming on her face. She couldn't help it.

"It is, and you know it."

"Yeah, _no_."

She was laughing on the inside, but she just wasn't going to let him know. It was just another secret, bottled inside.

She started walking in the direction of the healing tent, assuming that the ceremony would be in the center of the village.

"No, not that way," Sokka said as he grabbed her gloved hand, pulling her the opposite direction. "It's outside the village."

He led her along a path that Katara didn't take her earlier.

His hand was warm.

She knew she should let go. She should be the rock. She should be independent.

But she didn't want to let go.

…His hand was warm.

x.x.x.x

a/n: Woo. Now we're getting somewhere. ... I think? Reviews are greatly appreciated! They motivate me~ :)


	4. Chapter 4

She heard the sharp crackles of the fire before she heard anything else. Like tiny snaps, the sound of the burning wood beckoned her forward. Not like she needed any more directional help than she already had. Sokka continued to lead her, holding her hand in his, pulling her gently behind him.

They weren't very far from the village, but they were far enough. She tightened her grip around his hand. No longer could she sense any buildings. Behind the sounds of the fire, Toph could faintly hear the bubbling of the icy sea splashing against the shore.

She hated to admit it, but it was a lot easier to walk with Sokka guiding her. The snow still felt funny under her feet, and the ice made her blind, but just knowing that Sokka knew where he was going was reassuring enough for her.

"Have you ever seen a driftwood fire?" Sokka asked politely, tilting his head down towards hers.

Toph sighed. "Really, Sokka? Have _I _ever seen a driftwood fire?"

"It was just a question. You don't have to get all snippy," he retorted quickly. She grimaced, knowing that only physical force had the ability to knock any sense into him. Before he could stop her, she drew her hand out of his warm hold and popped him in the gut.

Moaning with the pain, he crouched over. "Oh… right… sorry…"

"Damn right you're sorry!" she said, relishing in her victory.

They closed in, and Toph could sense the tribe sitting around the fire. She assumed that everybody would come, but she didn't necessarily think that it was going to be such a serious occasion. Nobody was talking. What about the party? Sokka said there would be a party. She came for a _party_, not a bunch of water tribe geezers clinging to their traditions.

But hey, she wasn't one to judge. Her life was filled with boring rituals, one tradition after another. That's what comes out of being born a Bei Fong.

All hail the flying boar.

It was just like the whole marriage thing that her parents were forcing upon her. It was the stupidest thing she ever heard of. Were they that willing to get rid of her? No, she told herself, her parents loved her no matter how much they annoyed her. But did they really? Did they truly relish the time that Toph had been away? During both the war and those long years afterward?

It was true that her father had sent those two numbskulls after her when she willingly left to join Aang. But those earthbending freaks were just in it for the money. And deep down, Toph believed her father was in for the reputation.

Because who else was more caring than a father willing to give up everything to find his lost, blind daughter wandering the world with a bunch of Water Tribe kids and some weirdo claiming he was the Avatar?

Her father may have offered his money, but he sure as hell didn't offer his own time, his own body, or his own efforts to look for her.

The rest of the world was blind to his lies, but Toph could see him them perfectly. His lies were crystal clear.

He told her that she would be happy if she married some wealthy Earth Kingdom man.

Toph knew better than that.

The heat from the huge bonfire was blasting against her face, a fact that she noticed when Sokka stopped. With a light tug, he pulled her down to sit next to him.

"We're just in time," he whispered quickly, cupping his hand around her ear as to not draw attention to themselves. Toph crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned back slightly, breathing deeply and letting the heat roll over her face.

Everything was calm, peaceful. She took in the moment. Breathe in, breath out. Steady. Stay strong.

Then the drums started up, and the pounding reverberations sent tremors through Toph's body. Sokka stood, and pulled up on her elbow.

_Boom. Boom. Boom. _

The beat increased in tempo, and the crowd continued to stand silently, stoically. Faster, faster, cried the drums. Toph flexed her toes out inside of her shoes, absorbing every thump. They coursed through her body like a poison, pounding through her bloodstream.

One final smash, and the beat stopped.

A flute-like instrument sang its gentle tune from behind Toph, and her ears picked up something else. That was Katara. She walked in perfect time to the melody, summoning spirals of snow around her. With a wave of her arm, the ice shot up from beneath her, carving a slick path to the bonfire.

So this is what Sokka meant by Katara having to practice.

Katara bent down, lowering her body. As she raised her arms, three icy blocks rose up from the ground, just far enough from the fire so that they wouldn't melt.

Hakoda solemnly walked down the icy aisle behind his daughter, holding his head high, sweeping his boots along the path gracefully.

Toph tuned her ears to the outside.

Zuko and the three boys were coming soon. They were standing away, preparing themselves.

Toph tilted her head. It seemed as if more visitors were on their way. (And they were a little tardy, too.) A cluster of penguins waddled over from the outskirts of the fire, slapping their big, webbed feet against the ice.

Slap, slap, slap.

The flute stopped. The crowd held their breath. One huge inhalation, cold air filling collective lungs. Silence.

From the fire, Hakoda cleared his throat. "Warriors, step forward." His voice bellowed loud and unwavering over the barren ice.

First, the twins stepped forward. With heads held high and proud, they quickly walked side by side down Katara's carved path. As they walked towards their friends and family, they tried their best to conceal their double smiles. But they would let one crack every few steps or so.

Zuko was different.

He walked slowly, solemnly. His eyes never diverted once from his line of sight. He wasn't ogling at the audience or glancing at his feet or gazing into the burning fire. Once his amber eyes made contact with Katara's unwavering stare, he couldn't look away. He didn't smile, but the happiness overflowed through his eyes, his body.

The three sat before the fire, the heat scorching their bare faces.

"My turn," Sokka whispered before standing and walking towards them.

"Today we are gathered to see these three boys become men," Hakoda continued. A few snickers erupted from the crowd after hearing the Fire Lord be called a boy. His face was set like stone, thought. He was unmoved.

Toph still couldn't put her finger on it. Why would Zuko willingly do this to himself? He was the Fire Lord. Why would he engage himself in a rite of passage not even meant for him? She had already come up with one theory: he was doing it to bring the world closer. If the Fire Lord follows other culture's traditions, that would bring other people to accept foreign customs.

But that wasn't it. Zuko was still too busy trying to bring his people back together, to repair the damages of war.

Toph couldn't put her finger on it. His justification was a mystery.

She focused her attention back on the ceremony. Sokka was scooping up huge globs of paint in his fingers and smearing it across the twins' faces. Toph knew there was a certain pattern to it, but it had never been described in that much detail to her.

Sokka rubbed it on Zuko, covering his scar, his mark, his brand.

"One task remains for the warriors," Hakoda declared to the tribe, raising his hands above his head. "Sokka?" he said more quietly.

Sokka stepped forward, towards the ocean, and lifted a long, heavy stick from the snow. On the top rested a circle of wood covered with dead thorns. He pulled back, digging his heels into the snow and jumped forward swiftly, slamming the stick into the ice with speed and precision. The fire instantly ignited the stick, climbing up and devouring the thorns until all that remained was a flaming circle.

After Sokka did so, Katara stepped closer to Hakoda and waterbended three sharp arrows out of the ground, completely constructed of ice. Hakoda bent down, scooping the ice arrows in his gloved hand.

"These icicles are your childhood," Hakoda said to the three, although his voice was certainly loud enough for everyone to hear. "You must throw them through the fire. If you throw it through the circle and into the fire, and the ice sublimes, you have passed your final test. You must rid yourself of your childhood in order to become men."

Other tribe members spoke in hushed tones. They hadn't been to a rite of passage ceremony since Sokka's. It was a ceremony incredibly steeped in tradition.

The elder twin threw first. His icicle flew perfectly through the circle and into the fire, bursting up as a thick cloud of steam. The younger also completed the task with no problems.

Zuko stood up, towering over the two younger boys. He snatched the icicle from Hakoda's grasp, weighing it in his hand. Breathe in, breathe out. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the sharp icy arrow flying, the tip just barely making it through the circle. The steam rose, and Zuko shouted with glee, his intensity forcing the bonfire to double in size.

Some members of the crowd backed away, cowering behind their hands to shield the heat from their faces.

"Now, now," Hakoda said in a calmed tone as the fire settled down. Katara concealed a giggle, and Zuko stood pretending nothing had happened. Toph knew he was thrilled, though, no matter how much emotion he was hiding (or failing to hide for that matter).

"Come forth," Hakoda beckoned with a wave of his hand. Zuko and the two younger boys stepped forward and knelt down on their knees.

"Your childhood still exists," Hakoda began, "if only in a different form. Like the ice, you, too, have been transformed. You are now warriors. You are now wolves. You are now men."

Zuko's heart was beating so hard.

"Rise, my warriors. Rise as men."

The three rose from bended knee, standing to their full height. The crowd erupted with applause. They rushed towards the fire, enveloping the three with kisses and hugs and congratulations.

Toph refused to willingly jump into the mob of people. She would have another opportunity to congratulate Zuko. She stood away from the crowd, her face now burning from the nip of the cold.

Almost immediately, the drums began to beat again, the flute adding its own melody. People grabbed hands, dancing around the fire, screaming and laughing and singing. Huge platters of food were delivered upon weary shoulders. Toph caught the smell of one plate of food. Warm kelp rolls. Her nose crinkled up in disgust.

"C'mon, Toph," Katara coaxed as she walked over, "Eat something. Enjoy yourself!"

Toph shrugged, leaning back against a stump. "I dunno…"

"Well, that's never stopped you before."

Toph let her eyelids drift over her unseeing eyes. "Fine."

Katara grabbed her hand and pulled her into the crowd. People danced around them, clapping their hands, smiling.

Toph smiled at them, trying to join in the fun, but the pit in her stomach was slowly growing bigger and bigger.

Like Zuko and the twins, Toph was no longer a child by Earth Kingdom standards. But she most certainly was not celebrating growing up.

Growing up meant getting married. Growing up meant being tied down, and she most certainly refused to do that.

Even though she was freezing the majority of the time, and she still dreaded awkwardness with Sokka, Toph felt that she would gladly stay in the South Pole, free of responsibility, rather than return home.

"Hey!" Sokka yelled over the crowd. Toph stood still, letting the music and the vibrations of the dancing drown her thoughts. "Hey," he repeated, swinging his arm around her shoulders. "Come dance!" He pulled her closer, laughing loudly.

"Do I have to?"

"You definitely said that you liked parties. Come on!" he exclaimed as he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to the fire. The fire sparked. He swung her around, laughing. Toph tripped over her feet, clinging onto his arms when she lost balance.

"Snoozles! Do you even _know_ how to dance?!" she yelled, some strands of her bangs flopping into her eyes.

"Yes!" he retorted, his voice cracking.

"Sokka," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "I know when you're lying." He pulled his hands away from her, letting his arms fall comfortably at his sides.

"So?" He sounded offended.

"Didn't your mom teach you?" she asked. After the words spilled from her mouth, she realized what she had actually said. "Um… sorry."

"It's okay." He shuffled his feet.

"Here, I'll teach you." She took a deep breath. What was she doing? "Put your hand on my waist."

It turned out that Sokka was a fast learner. (Toph remembered spending countless hours on lessons when she was a little girl.) Sokka twirled her gently across the ice, leading her steps carefully. Snow started falling around them, cascading into the crowd. The cold was bitter, but Toph couldn't focus on anything else but the dance.

"I know you're a good earthbending teacher," he said softly, "But you're a great dance teacher."

Toph's words got caught in her throat. She didn't know how to respond. But she wouldn't have to.

Sokka nudged her in the ribs. "Hey, check them out." Toph heard a whisper.

"Katara, could you come here?" Zuko asked quietly, taking her hand and pulling her towards the ocean. The sound of the crashing waves almost overpowered his voice, but Toph could still hear. "I wanted to become a man in your culture for one reason only."

"Zuko, you don't have to explain anything," Katara said as she walked up to him, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. In a lower voice, she added, "I know you're trying to bring the four nations together. You don't have to explain yourself to me."

Zuko shrugged her hand off his shoulder and grabbed it before it fell.

He spoke softly, ignoring her protests, "I wanted to become a man in the Southern Water Tribe… because only a man is worthy of your hand in marriage."

He stooped down on one knee, bringing her hand to his surprisingly warm lips. His free hand dug into his pocket and rose out again, revealing a beautifully carved necklace. On the stone, swirls of fire were etched into the design. Zuko held it up to Katara, his eyes bright and hopeful.

"Katara, will you marry me?"

Toph's eyes widened.

"Yes! Yes… Of course!" Katara cried, her blue eyes sparkling with tears of joy. She bent down and pulled his face to hers, joining herself with him in the most passionate kiss they had ever shared. Toph couldn't help but smile.

"So this is why he did it?" Toph asked Sokka, her head tilted to the side. Her voice could barely be heard there was still so much yelling and dancing and singing going on. Sokka was beaming as he nodded.

"Yup," Sokka explained. "He'd do anything for her."

Toph grinned, but a little voice complained inside her heart.

_It must feel nice… to marry for love_.

She didn't think she'd ever get that chance.

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a/n: I really struggled with this chapter. Just getting this written down was a challenge, and I still don't like how it turned out. But I had to get it done. SO I DID. Review?


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